Enjoy this video of a Meimuna kuroiwae by saku dainaman2 on YouTube:
December 20, 2022
January 19, 2019
Meimuna tripurasura (Distant, 1881)
Meimuna tripurasura (Distant, 1881) is a cicada found in India.
Meimuna tripurasura was formerly known as Cosmopsaltria tripurasura.
Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Dundubiini
SubTribe: Cosmopsaltriaria
Genus: Meimuna
Species: Meimuna tripurasura (Distant, 1881)
[Male] Head pronotum and mesonotum ochraceous. Head: front with a triangular black spot near base and transverse black striae. which do not meet in the centre; vertex with two large oblique and irregular black fasciae. on disk, and a large irregular black spot on inner margin of eyes. Pronotum with two central longitudinal black fasciae, and three oblique black striae on each side the outer one submarginal and somewhat rounded. Mesonotum with a large central clavate spot, of which the apex terminates on anterior margin, bordered on each side by a subconical spot, followed by a small triangular one and a large submarginal fascia, black. Abdomen dull sanguineous, with a series of discal segmental black fasciae (they are much larger in some specimens and subconfluent). and a lateral segmental row of irregular spots. Body beneath with the sternum ochraceous, covered with greyish pubescence.
Abdomen dull sanguineous; opercula pale sanguineous; legs ochraceous.
Tegmina and wings pale hyaline.
Front very prominent and convex; head, including eyes, narrower than base of pronotum, subequal to mesonotum in width. Opercula subtriangular. well separated at base, gradually becoming more divergent, and narrowing to apex, which is obtuse, and reaches the fourth abdominal segment. Anterior femora armed with three spines; two moderately large and ochraceous, apical one small and black. Posterior tibiae with three black spines on inner side near apex, and two smaller and wider apart on outer margin.
Long. excl. tegm. [male] , 33 millim. Exp. tegm. 85 millim.
References:
- The illustration, description and location information comes from A Monograph of Oriental Cicadas by W. L. Distant. 1889-1892. Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
- Species name information comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
January 7, 2019
Ollanta modesta (Distant, 1881)
Ollanta modesta (Distant, 1881) is a cicada found in Mexico and Nicaragua.
Ollanta modesta was formerly known as Selymbria modesta.
Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Fidicinini
SubTribe: Guyalnina
Genus: Ollanta
Species: Ollanta modesta (Distant, 1881)
The image says Selymbria modesta, but the newest name of this cicada is Ollanta modesta.
Species description by W. L. Distant:
Body dull testaceous. Head with the frontal margin, area of the ocelli, and posterior margin of eyes fuscous. Pronotum with two central fuscous fasciae on anterior margin, and sometimes two smaller ones on posterior margin. Mesonotum with two large obconical central spots on anterior margin; on each side of these a longer and more obscure obconical fascia, and a transverse fascia on disk, preceded by two small spots, fuscous. Basal margins of scutellum and abdominal segments fuscous. Body beneath paler; anterior margin of head and inner margin of eyes black. Tegmina pale hyaline; neuration ochraceous or dull testaceous (sometimes with the basal half much paler); transverse veins at the base of second and third apical areas, and a submarginal row of spots on longitudinal veins of first, second, and third apical areas fuscous. Wings pale hyaline, with the nervures ochraceous or testaceous.
Head, including eyes, equal in breadth to base of pronotum; face with a very deep central longitudinal sulcation, and strongly and transversely striate. Opercula pale, broad, not passing base of first abdominal segment, and narrowed but not meeting interiorly.
Long. 16 millim., exp. tegm. 57 millim.
This is the only Central- American species of the genus with which I am acquainted. It varies somewhat in the markings of the pronotum and mesonotum.
References:
- The illustration comes from Biologia Centrali-Americana. Insecta. Rhynchota. Hemiptera-Homoptera. Vol. 1. By W. L. Distant F.E.S. and The Rev. Canon W. W. Fowler, F.L.S. (1881-1905). Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
- Species name information comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
December 30, 2018
Fidicinoides spinicosta (Walker, 1850)
Fidicinoides spinicosta (Walker, 1850) is a cicada from Costa Rica, Panama, Guiana, French Guiana, and Brazil.
Fidicinoides spinicosta was formerly known as Fidicina spinicosta. Its name changed when it moved from the Fidicina Amyot & Audinet-Serville, 1843 genus to the Fidicinoides Boulard & Martinelli, 1996 genus.
Update (2/19/2019): this cicada is now Guyalna bicolor (Olivier, 1790). All add more info soon.
Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Fidicinini
SubTribe: Fidicinina
Genus: Fidicinoides
Species: Fidicinoides spinicosta (Walker, 1850)
References:
- The illustration comes from Biologia Centrali-Americana. Insecta. Rhynchota. Hemiptera-Homoptera. Vol. 1. By W. L. Distant F.E.S. and The Rev. Canon W. W. Fowler, F.L.S. (1881-1905). Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
- Species name verification comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
November 15, 2018
Tympanoterpes cordubensis Berg, 1884
Tympanoterpes cordubensis Berg, 1884 is a cicada found in Argentina.
Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Fidicinini
SubTribe: Guyalnina
Genus: Tympanoterpes
Species: Tympanoterpes cordubensis Berg, 1884
Tympanoterpes genus description by W. L. Distant:
Characters. — Head (including eyes) about equal in width to base of mesonotum, eyes scarcely projecting beyond anterior angles of pronotum, vertex of head at area of ocelli often only very slightly longer than front ; pronotum shorter than mesonotum, the posterior angles a little prominent but not lobately produced; abdomen about as long as space between apex of head and base of cruciform elevation; metasternum with a moderately elevated transverse central plate, which is not anteriorly angularly produced; tegmina usually less than about three times as long as broad, the transverse vein at base of second apical area strongly oblique ; wings about half the length of tegmina which have eight apical areas and the basal cell longer than broad.
References:
- The illustration and description comes from the journal Genera Insectorum, and a specific article from 1914 by W. L. Distant titled Homoptera. Fam. Cicadidae, Subfam, Gaeaninae. Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
- Species name verification comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
November 13, 2018
Ollanta mexicana Distant, 1905
Ollanta mexicana Distant, 1905, is a cicada found in Mexico.
Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Fidicinini
SubTribe: Guyalnina
Genus: Ollanta
Species: Ollanta mexicana Distant, 1905
Ollanta genus description by W. L. Distant:
Characters. — Head (including eyes) broader than base of mesonotum, eyes projecting beyond anterior angles of pronotum, vertex at area of ocelli about or almost as long as the front; pronotum shorter than mesonotum, its posterior angles labately produced, its lateral margins obliquely narrowed anteriorly, very slightly sinuate; mesonotum moderately convex; abdomen short, about as long as space between apex of head and base of cruciform elevation, tympanal coverings large, their apices subacute, anteriorly but not interiorly covering cavities; rostrum reaching posterior coxae; opercula small, transverse, only about reaching base of abdomen; face moderately globose; tegmina and wings hyaline, the first with eight apical areas.
References:
- The illustration and description comes from the journal Genera Insectorum, and a specific article from 1914 by W. L. Distant titled Homoptera. Fam. Cicadidae, Subfam, Gaeaninae. Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
- Species name verification comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
November 9, 2018
Basa singularis (Walker, 1858)
Basa singularis (Walker, 1858) is a cicada found in India.
Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Psithyristriini
SubTribe: Psithyristriina
Genus: Basa
Species: Basa singularis (Walker, 1858)
Basa genus description by W. L. Distant:
Characters. — Head with front prominent and produced, its lateral margins at right angles with anterior margins of vertex, its breadth between eyes much narrower than base of mesonotum. its length about equal to that of pronotum; pronotum a little shorter than mesonotum, its lateral margins convex anteriorly and concavely sinuate before posterior angles, which are ampliated; abdomen much longer than space between apex of head and base of cruciform elevation, its lateral areas obliquely depressed above; beneath with the disk somewhat flat and the marginal areas obliquely directed upward; tympanal flaps shorter, but not narrower than tympanal cavities; opercula transverse and just passing base of abdomen; anterior femora strongly spined beneath near apex; anterior tibiae longer than femora, anterior tarsi more than half the length of tibiae; tegmina and wings long and narrow, greatest width of the first only equal to a third of length, its basal cell much longer than broad, fourth ulnar area much compressed at base of third, apical areas eight.
References:
- The illustration and description comes from the journal Genera Insectorum, and a specific article from 1914 by W. L. Distant titled Homoptera. Fam. Cicadidae, Subfam, Gaeaninae. Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
- Species name verification comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
- Tribe information comes from: MARSHALL, DAVID C. et al.A molecular phylogeny of the cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) with a review of tribe and subfamily classification.Zootaxa, [S.l.], v. 4424, n. 1, p. 1—64, may 2018. ISSN 1175-5334. Available at: https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.4424.1.1
September 21, 2017
2017 Cicada Summer
Today is September 21st, 2017 — the last day of Summer, in central New Jersey. Leaves of maple trees have started to turn scarlet and yellow. Oaks are dropping their acorns. The few, remaining Morning (Neotibicen tibicen tibicen) and Linne’s (Neotibicen linnei) cicadas sound decrepit and tired — like tiny breaking machines, low on fuel and oil. I found one dead Morning cicada lying on a sidewalk — its body crushed. Here in New Jersey, at least, the cicada season is all but over.
Molting Neotibicen tibicen tibicen in Little Silver, NJ. August 26st.
As cicada years go, this one had ups and downs. It wasn’t as awesome as 2016, but I can’t blame the cicadas.
Downs:
- No group cicada hunts this year. My cicada hobby is much more fun when I can share it with other people.
- A skunk took over my favorite spot for finding Morning Cicada nymphs.
- I had to go on a business trip during what would have been the best weeks for finding nymphs.
- I forgot to bring my good audio recording equipment to Titusville, NJ & Washington Crossing, PA, and only got so-so iPhone audio of the weird N. winnemanna there.
Ups:
- I found a new Megatibicen auletes location in Highlands, NJ. The location is about 50 miles north of where I usually find them.
- I found more Megatibicen auletes exuvia than ever at the Manchester, NJ location where my friends and I normally hunt for auletes. Normally I find one or two — this year I found dozens. I found no adult specimens, other than those singing in the trees at dusk.
- I did find enough exuvia & Morning cicadas that I should be happy.
Here’s some images from this summer:
Neotibicen tibicen tibicen with bad wing. The indigo color is fascinating. August 9th.
A Neotibicen tibicen tibicen found during a lunchtime stroll. September 1st.
A female Neotibicen canicularis or maybe pink N. linnei found in Little Silver, NJ. August 25th.
You’ll find more activity on the Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram.
And last, the most popular post on the Cicada Mania Facebook page:
April 23, 2016
Okanagana luteobasalis Davis, 1935
Okanagana luteobasalis Davis, 1935.
Name, Location and Description
- Cicada Name: Okanagana luteobasalis Davis, 1935
- Short Name: O. luteobasalis
- Where it is found: AB, BC, CA, CO, ID, MB, MT, NV, ND, OR, UT, WA, WY
- Maps: Biogeography of the Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of North America, North of Mexico [PDF]
- Description: Black with light orange highlights.
- Eye Color: black
- Pronotal Collar Color: light orange
- Type Specimen Details: The American Museum of Natural Species
- Taxonomic Information: Integrated Taxonomic Information System
- Identification: BugGuide
- Identification: iNaturalist
Classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadettinae
Tribe: Tibicinini
Subtribe: Tibicinina
Genera: Okanagana
Species: Okanagana luteobasalis Davis, 1935
List of sources
- Full Binomial Names: ITIS.gov
- Common names: BugGuide.net; The Songs of Insects by Lang Elliott and Wil Herschberger; personal memory.
- Locations: Biogeography of the Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of North America, North of Mexico by Allen F. Sanborn and Polly K. Phillips.
- Descriptions, Colors: personal observations from specimens or photos from many sources. Descriptions are not perfect, but may be helpful.
Notes:
- Some descriptions are based on aged specimens which have lost some or a lot of their color.
December 31, 2015
19 Articles about Cicadas from 2015
Here are 19 articles from scientific journals about cicadas from 2015 that you may have missed.
January:
A review of the cicada genus Kosemia Matsumura (Hemiptera: Cicadidae)
- Shengping Qi, Masami Hayashi, Cong Wei
- Zootaxa, Vol 3911, No 4
- http://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.3911.4.1
February:
External morphology and calling song characteristics in Tibicen plebejus (Hemiptera: Cicadidae)
- Maedeh Mehdipour, Jalal Jalali Sendi, Hossein Zamanian
- Comptes Rendus Biologies, Volume 338, Issue 2, February 2015, Pages 103—111
- http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1631069114002728
The phylogenetic utility of acetyltransferase (ARD1) and glutaminyl tRNA synthetase (QtRNA) for reconstructing Cenozoic relationships as exemplified by the large Australian cicada Pauropsalta generic complex
- Christopher L. Owen, David C. Marshall, Kathy B.R. Hill, Chris Simon
- Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Volume 83, February 2015, Pages 258—277
- http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1055790314002516
March:
Cicada genus Pomponia Stål, 1866 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) from Vietnam and Cambodia, with a new species, a new record, and a key to the species
- Hong-Thai Pham, Young June Lee, Jerome Constant
- Zootaxa, Vol 3925, No 4
- http://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.3925.4.5
April:
Intraspecific sexual mimicry for finding females in a cicada: males produce ‘female sounds’ to gain reproductive benefit
- Changqing Luo, Cong Wei
- Animal Behaviour, Volume 102, April 2015, Pages 69—76
- http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003347215000226
A new cicada species of the genus Psithyristria Stål, 1870 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cicadinae: Psithyristriini) from Luzon, Philippines, with a key to the 15 species
- Young June Lee, Ireneo L. Jr. Lit
- Zootaxa, Vol 3948, No 2
- http://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.3948.2.10
A redescription of Yoyetta landsboroughi (Distant) and Y. tristrigata (Goding and Froggatt) (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) and description of four new related species
- Nathan J. Emery, David L. Emery, Lindsay W. Popple
- Zootaxa, Vol 3948, No 3
- http://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.3948.3.1
May:
A review of the cicada genus Haphsa Distant from China (Hemiptera: Cicadidae)
- Xu Wang, Mingsheng Yang, Cong Wei
- Zootaxa, Vol 3957, No 4
- http://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.3957.4.3
Description of two new cicada species of the genus Poviliana Boulard (Insecta: Hemiptera, Cicadoidea, Cicadidae) from New Caledonia
- Quentin Delorme, Hervé Jourdan, Christian Mille
- Zootaxa, Vol 3957, No 4
- http://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.3957.4.9
June:
Four new species of cicadas from Papua New Guinea (Hemiptera: Cicadoidea: Cicadidae)
- Allen F. Sanborn
- Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology, Volume 18, Issue 2, June 2015, Pages 283—290
- http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1226861515000308
Description of a new genus, Auritibicen gen. nov., of Cryptotympanini Hemiptera: Cicadidae) with redescriptions of Auritibicen pekinensis (Haupt, 1924) comb. nov. and Auritibicen slocumi (Chen, 1943) comb. nov. from China and a key to the species of Auritibicen
- Young June Lee
- Zootaxa, Vol 3980, No 2
- http://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.3980.2.5
Cicadidae types (Hemiptera-Cicadomorpha) housed at the Museo de La Plata entomological collection (Argentina)
- Ana M. Marino De Remes Lenicov, Arnaldo Maciá, Bruno Pianzola
- Zootaxa, Vol 3974, No 3
- http://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.3974.3.1
July:
Molecular phylogenetics, diversification, and systematics of Tibicen Latreille 1825 and allied cicadas of the tribe Cryptotympanini, with three new genera and emphasis on species from the USA and Canada (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadidae)
- Kathy B. R. Hill, David C. Marshall, Maxwell S. Moulds, Chris Simon
- Zootaxa, Vol 3985, No 2
- http://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.3985.2.3
August:
New species of Simona Moulds, 2012 and Chelapsalta Moulds, 2012 cicadas (Cicadidae: Cicadettinae: Cicadettini) from Australia: comparative morphology, songs, behaviour and distributions
- A. Ewart, L.W. Popple, D.C. Marshall
- Zootaxa, Vol 4001, No 1
- http://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.4001.1.1
Additional records of cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) to the fauna of Mindanao, Philippines, with the description of three new species and a key to the species of Champaka Distant
- Young June Lee
- Zootaxa, Vol 4007, No 4
- http://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.4007.4.5
September:
Comparative morphology of the distal segments of Malpighian tubules in cicadas and spittlebugs, with reference to their functions and evolutionary indications to Cicadomorpha (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha)
- Qinglong Li, Haiying Zhong, Yalin Zhang, Cong Wei
- Zoologischer Anzeiger – A Journal of Comparative Zoology, Volume 258, September 2015, Pages 54—68
- http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0044523115300048
October:
New combinations for six species belonging to Cryptotympanini Handlirsch (Hemiptera: Cicadidae), former members of the genus Tibicen Latreille, 1825
- Allen F. Sanborn
- Zootaxa, Vol 4027, No 3
- http://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.4027.3.9
November:
The visual system of the Australian ‘Redeye’ cicada (Psaltoda moerens), Arthropod Structure & Development
- Willi A. Ribi, Jochen Zeil
- Arthropod Structure & Development, Volume 44, Issue 6, Part A, November 2015, Pages 574—586
- http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1467803915000687
Erection of a new genus Biura gen. nov., of the subtribe Aolina (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cicadinae: Dundubiini)
- Young June Lee, Allen F. Sanborn
- Zootaxa, Vol 4044, No 4
- http://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.4044.4.9
